The government proposes to increase the involvement of parents instead of just restricting it to the PTA body against the fee hike.
Maharashtra government has cracked the whip on the private schools on the contentious issue of fee hike. The government will soon promulgate an ordinance whereby 25 per cent parents and not just the members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) body can approach the statutory fee revision panel against the hike. The government proposes to increase the involvement of parents instead of just restricting it to the PTA body against the fee hike.
The government will launch this new initiative from ensuing academic year.
Besides, the government proposes to increase the number of parents' representation on PTA, an executive body whose approval is must for a fee increase. Henceforth, more parents can be appointed on PTA through lottery system as the government had received several complaints that even parents' representatives were selected in such a way that they would be in favour of the management.
In order to give much needed relief to parents, the government proposes to give them freedom to purchase school material from the shops of their choice, and not those assigned by the school. The state education minister, Vinod Tawde, while replying to a calling attention motion, announced these decisions in the state Assembly on Tuesday moved by BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar and others.
Officer from the state education department said political parties and various organisations had said that even though the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of School) Fee Act, 2011 prohibits schools from hiking fees more than once in two years, it does not put any cap on the hike. Parents want the act to define upper limits for the hikes. Further, they objected to the schools collecting hefty sums for uniforms, stationery, security deposit and other extra-curricular activities.
However, government's proposed initiatives has evoked a mixed reactions from parents associations.
"With these guidelines, cases where there would be few parents opposing the hike in a large strength of students will not be entertained. Even a single parent should have a right to lodge a complaint," said Anubha Sahai, President of the India Parents Association.
"There is no implementation of the existing laws against fee hikes and one cannot thus expect anything from the government," said Suchita Ghag, a parent from Mumbai adding that the provisions were an eyewash.
Hike Bumps
Government to promulgate an ordinance whereby 25% parents and not just the members of the PTA can approach the statutory fee revision panel against the hike
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